Competitive drills to make your team mentally tough

Kristi Bredbenner Wichita State University Benefits of Competition

 Creates confidence  Practice pressure situations  Concentration Routines  Relaxation Routines  Mental Imagery  Visualize the situation  Practice performance charts  Complaining about playing time Conditioning

Mini Triathlon Conditioning Games Mini Triathlon

 Run  2 miles  Swim  1000 meters  Bike  5 miles  Row  1000 meters Conditioning Games

Boundary Ball Tee Game Team Handball Gladiator Base Race Relay Boundary Ball Boundary Line Boundary Line

Equipment Needed: Bat, Ball, Gloves, Chalk or Spray Paint Tee Game

Equipment Needed: Bat, Ball, Tee, Bases Team Handball

Points: 1pt – Touchdown 2pt – Basket 3pt - Goal Equipment Needed: Small Soccer Ball, Cones, Pennies Gladiator

Equipment Needed: Bat, Ball, Gloves, Trash Can Base Race Defensive Drills

DePaul Drill 21 Outs Around the World Infield Cone Drill/Hot Box Outfield Target Toss Countdown Infield Star Drill DePaul Drill  Groundball to 3rd  3B Fields throws to 1B  1B throw back to 3b  3B throws to Catcher  Catcher throws to 3B  3B throws to 2B  2B throws to 1B  1B throws to Catcher DePaul Drill

 Groundball to SS  SS Fields throws to 1B  1B throws back to 2B  2B throws to Catcher  Catcher throws to 3B  3B throws to SS  SS throws to 1B  1B throws to Catcher DePaul Drill

 Groundball to 2nd  2B Fields throws to 1B  1B throws to SS  SS throws to Catcher  Catcher throws to 3B  3B throws to 2B  2B throws to 1B  1B throws to Catcher DePaul Drill

 Groundball to 1st  1B Fields throws to 3B  3B throws back to 1B  1B throws to Catcher  Catcher throws to 3B  3B throws to 2B  2B throws to 1B  1B throws to Catcher 21 Outs

 Full field defense  Object is to get 21 outs in a row with different defensive situations  Situations should vary, but get tougher as they get closer  Must make good throws, catch the ball and communicate to get the out  Start over at 0 outs if they make a mistake Around the World

 Full Field Defense  Infield  Start in Right field  Groundball throw to 1B  Player must field 3 balls  Groundball turn 2 cleanly and make good  Groundball tag play at Home throws  Pitcher  Start over in right if there is a  Groundball throw to 1B mistake  Groundball turn 2  Outfield  Squeeze play at Home  Groundball throw to 2B  Catcher  Fly ball throw to 3B  Bunt throw to 1B (2B covers)  Fly ball throw Home  Bunt throw to 2B (SS covers)  Pop-up 7 inning challenge

 Full Field Defense  Meet outside the dugout  Sprint to positions  3 outs on random situations  Sprint back to dugout  Must get 3 perfectly executed outs, 7 times  Start over from the beginning if you fail Infield Cone Drill/Hot Box

SS/2B Concept: See how many groundballs can be fielded in a row a with good throw to the catcher Guidelines: 1B/3B/Pitchers Groundballs have to stay within the cones Cones are 12 feet apart SS/2B 50 feet away 1B/3B/Pitcher 40 feet away Bobbles or errors ends the round

Coach Catcher Outfield Target Toss

Concept:  Outside Field ball and throw to the  Position Targets (Sock target Nets) at each base and home Outfielders call position and  target Mix throwing from each position Caller must hit field and hit  Inside target  Targets on the corners of Next in line must do the same gym on the walls and so on  Mix throwing spots Just like HORSE Countdown

Full Field Defense Figure out the average time it takes for each player to field a fly ball or groundball, throw and hit the glove of the receiver. Start with either the OF, INF, or Pitcher Each player has to make their time or you go back to the starting spot Infield Star Drills

Solo Star Drill Indoor Star Drill Dual Infield Drills Basic concept: -Throw and sprint to the next base Throw & Run -Runners must slide at 2B, 3B, and Home -Work on quick tags at bases Throwing Pattern 1. Catcher throws to 2B 2. Sprints to 1B 3. 2B throws to 1b for force out 4. 2B sprint to 3B 5. 1B throws to 3B tag play 6. 1B sprint to 2B 7. 3B throws to 2B tag play 8. 3B sprints Home 9. 2B throws to Home tag play Infield Star Drill

 Catcher throws to SS  Catcher Sprints to SS line  SS throws to 1B  SS sprints to 1B line  1B throws to 3B  1B sprint to 3B line  3B throws to 2B  3B sprint to 2B line  2B throws to catcher  2B sprint to catchers line Offensive Drills

Up the Middle Drill Execution Game Cage Game Bunting Competition Up the Middle Drill

Line the team up on an outfield foul line Batter get three pitches to hit a line drive or hard shot up the middle No hits---Team does a down and back to 2B 1-2 hits---No running 3 hits in a row---Team gets a freebie Execution Game

 Split team up into 2-3 teams  Coach throws BP  Set up different situations  Batters get one at-bat per situation to score or move the runners on  Ex: Runner at 3, 1 out  Execute the squeeze 1 pt  Score a run 1 pt  Defense holds the runner 1 pt Situational Scrimmage

2 teams Team 1 on Defense Teams 2 Split between baserunners and hitters Point system for executing situation for hitters and baserunners Defense plays out every situation

Cage Game

Coach throws batting practice Small hitting groups Focus is to hit line drives up the middle Each team gets 3 outs to get as many hits up the middle Each hit is a point Bunting Competition

 3 Rounds  Rounds 1 & 2 Sacrifice  Only get 1 strike  Bunt has to stay in boundary  No pop-ups  Round 3 Squeeze  1 pitch to get bunt down  No catchable pop-ups Pitching Drills

 Bucket Drill  T-game  Conditioning Drill  Set up a tee on the inside and outside  1-2 buckets of ball corner of the plate  Pitcher throws to  catcher Place a ball on the team  Immediately getting  tossed another ball Goal is to knock the ball off a specified  Quickly backing up to # of times mound and throws  Use different pitches again  Continuous until buckets are empty Pitching Drills

 10 Point Game  Eliminate a Pitch  Catcher calls different  Pitcher chooses a pitches pitch they are not allowed to throw  If the pitcher hits her during any live spot she gets 1 point competition  If the pitcher misses  she deducts 1 point Must understand what to do if that  If the pitcher pipes in pitch is unavailable down the middle she deducts 3 points Questions???

Thank you!!

WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS [email protected] Office: 315-978-3260 Twitter: @coachbredbenner Team: @goshockersSB